LOCAL AUTHORITY AMALGAMATION

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 76, 16 April 1937, Page 6

LOCAL AUTHORITY AMALGAMATION

Helpf ulness Praised By Minister DEEP INTEREST IN BILL The care with which local authorities of j>he Dominion were considering the questions involved in the proposals of the Government for the amalgamation of local bodies was characterised as praiseworthily thorough by the Minister of Internal Affairs, the Hon. W. E. Parry, who arrived in Napier last evening. The Minister said that at all conferences. held to discuss the proposed legislation which h© had been invited to address there had been abundant evidence of the deep interest of the county councils in the provisions of the Bill which Parliament would be asked to deal with next session and of a pleasantly noticeable feature of helpfulness in tho action the bodies were taking in a matter which was of considerable importance to New Zealand as a whole. "I am thinking that it is probably a long time," remarked Mr Parry, "since 1 had the pleasure of discussing in a spirit of friendliness and amicability a subjeet so important in its scope as -ocal government amalgamation with bodies of representative men as those I met in eonference at Masterton and Dannevirke yesterday and to-day. They are sound in their knowledge of' local government and quick to realise that underlying the proposals of the Bill is the main desire to secure a co-ordina-tion — a moderaity — of administration of local government affairs which will be of'lasting benefit to the Dominion. That seems to me to be the feeling of those conferences and much should ultimateQy be achieved by fhejn. "I have a high opinion to express of county councils, the members of whioh have alcmg many years done their work selflessly and with the one aim — the benefit of the county and the people they serve. To many of these bodies, I am convinced, could be entrusted a wider field in their work than they now have and the amalgamation proposals could give them that scope to the advantage of all."